The Heywood Township Delegated Sub-Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss township capital funding, and to review the expenditure, commitments and balances of the Heywood Township Funds for 2025/26, and consider applications for funding. The meeting will be held at the Court Room, The Old Police Station in Heywood.

Township Capital Funding

The Sub-Committee will consider a report about additional funding of £3.5 million that the council has received from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The report states that the funding will be allocated to schemes already approved within the Capital programme, and that the funds have been reallocated evenly across the 20 wards, providing an extra £175,000 per ward for local projects. The report recommends that schemes endorsed by ward members, which have the support of at least a two-to-one majority, be forwarded to the Director of Public Health and Communities for approval, following consultation with the Township Chair and Vice-Chair. It is also recommended that all decisions regarding the additional ward capital funding be delegated to the Director of Public Health and Communities, working in consultation with the relevant Township Chairs and Vice-Chairs, to streamline the governance process, because the timescale for allocating the additional £3,500,000 does not align with the currently planned sub-committee meetings. The report notes that a temporary Finance/Project Officer will be assigned from the existing staff until May 2026 to manage the allocation and oversight of these capital funds.

Heywood Township Funds 2025/26

The Sub-Committee will receive an update on revenue and capital expenditure, commitments and balances of the Heywood Township Funds 2025/26. They will also consider applications for funding from the Heywood Township Funds. The report pack includes the following appendices:

• Appendix 1 details the Heywood Township revenue budget summary for 2025/26. The report states that the budget available for 2025/26 is £140,089, and the budget remaining is £64,618.
• Appendix 1A details the Hopwood Hall Ward Fund, North Heywood Ward Fund and West Heywood Ward Fund.
• Appendix 2 details the Heywood Township capital budget summary for 2025/26. The report states that the budget available for 2025/26 is £580,415 and the budget remaining is £508,265. It also details the North Heywood Ward Capital Fund, West Heywood Ward Capital Fund and Hopwood Hall Capital Ward Fund, which all have a remaining budget of £175,000, £175,000 and £105,000 respectively.
• Appendix 3 details the delegated decisions made since the last Heywood Township Delegated Sub Committee meeting. This includes an award of £2,900 from Projects Fund to Heywood Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society's youth group HeyKids for a production of Nativity! The Musical to be performed at Middleton Arena.
• Appendix 4 details the proposed projects for decision.

Proposed Projects for Decision

The Sub-Committee will be asked to decide whether to approve, decline or defer the allocation of revenue and capital funds to the proposed projects listed in Appendix 4 of the report pack. The projects to be discussed include:

• Heywood 1940's Day 2026 - Heywood Business Group have requested £16,622 for the annual event that raises the profile of Heywood and promotes the town as a destination for leisure, recreation and shopping. The report pack includes a copy of an application form from Melanie Caffrey, Secretary of Heywood Business Group, which details a breakdown of proposed expenditure, including: plane hire/hotel, musical artist, re-enactors, stage, buses, chairs, help, first aid service, entertainment, insurance, council fees, bands, road management, flags and bunting, printing and advertising. The report pack also includes copies of invoices from previous Heywood 1940's Day events, including invoices from The Aircraft Company for the hire of a full-sized replica Battle of Britain Spitfire and Hurricane, and invoices for entertainment from Punch and Judy. The risk implication is that Heywood Township Fund terms and conditions state that the purchase of insurance cannot be funded.
• Christmas Toy Appeal - Number One Riverside Giving Back CIO have requested £3,000. Number One Riverside Giving Back CIO is a Rochdale Borough Council staff led charitable initiative that each year organises a boroughwide toy appeal to support children and families experiencing poverty, financial hardship and social disadvantage. The report pack includes a copy of an application form from Helen Walton, Founder of Number One Riverside Giving Back, which states that the grant would be used to purchase One 4 All vouchers for older children and young people. There are no risk implications noted.
• Heywood in Bloom - Community installations projects - Heywood in Bloom have requested £490.85. Heywood in Bloom aim to enhance Heywood through community engagement, horticulture, floriculture and craft. The report pack includes a copy of an application form from Iain Donaldson, Chair of Heywood in Bloom, which states that the grant would be used to purchase equipment and tools to enable Heywood in Bloom to continue the essential maintenance of existing horticultural installations, expand their activities to create new installations, support the collaboration with current partners and encourage the involvement of new partners across the community. The risk implication is that Heywood Township Fund terms and conditions state applicants are limited to one Heywood Township grant in any two consecutive financial years.
• Well Strong - Heywood - Well Foundation have requested £10,930. Well Foundation provides facilities and opportunities for local young people through a structured, four-stage intervention model. The report pack includes a copy of an application form from George Lord, Administrator at Well Foundation, which states that the grant would be used to deliver weekly strength and conditioning sessions in small groups by a qualified coach over a twelve month period, and to provide a mentoring programme to support personal development and work towards a more positive future. Well Foundation has submitted grant applications to the Rochdale North Township Delegated Sub Committee and Rochdale South Township Delegated Sub Committee. The decisions will determine whether the Project Coordinator and marketing costs can be apportioned across the Township Funds to reduce the grant required.
• Gordon Way grit bin - Elsie Blundell MP has requested £1,050 for the supply and installation of a grit bin on Gordon Way in Heywood. Heywood Township Delegated Sub Committee on 26 March 2025 and 30 June 2025 decided to defer this project to allow a review of grit bins to be undertaken. There are no risk implications noted.

Other Matters

The Sub-Committee will also be asked to:

• Approve the minutes of the Heywood Township Delegated Sub-Committee meeting held on 30th June 2025. The minutes detail the approval of funding for Heywood Charities Fete 2025, Heywood Christmas Light Switch on 2025, a Functional Fitness Course, Pilsworth Road Junction Signalisation Feasibility Study and Queen's Park Café Mural. The minutes also detail the approval of funding for Middleton Road Resurfacing and Cherwell Avenue Area Waiting Restrictions.
• Note the declarations of interest from members. The Quick Guide to Declaring Interests at Rochdale Borough Council Meetings states that councillors must declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on the agenda.